Albert O. Hirschman : an intellectual biography / Michele Alacevich.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alacevich, Michele, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hirschman, Albert O.

Economists--United States--Biography.

Economists.

Economics--History.

Economics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (351 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2021]

Summary:

One of the most original social scientists of the twentieth century, Albert O. Hirschman led an uncommonly dramatic life. After fleeing Nazi Germany as a youth, he fought in the Spanish Civil War, took part in antifascist activities in Italy, and organized an underground rescue operation in Marseille through which more than 2,000 people, including Marc Chagall, Arthur Koestler, and Hannah Arendt, escaped Europe. Hirschman moved across topics, methodologies, and disciplinary boundaries as fluidly as he did among countries and languages. His work is marked by a deep suspicion of all-encompassing theories, valuing instead doubt and a sensitivity to contingencies and unexpected consequences.In this intellectual biography, the economic historian Michele Alacevich explores the development and trajectory of Hirschman’s characteristic approach to social-scientific questions. He traces the many strands of Hirschman’s thought and their place in his multifaceted body of work, considering their limitations as well as their strengths. Alacevich puts Hirschman’s ideas into context, following his participation in the major intellectual and political debates of his times. He examines Hirschman’s pioneering work in development studies and his analyses of social change, the history of capitalism, and the workings of democracy alongside his activities in the postwar reconstruction of Europe and economic development in Latin America. A compelling intellectual portrait of a profoundly distinctive thinker, this book also reflects on Hirschman’s legacy and lasting influence.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Chapter One. The Formation of an International Political Economist

Chapter Two. The Politics of Power

Chapter Three. Pioneer of Development

Chapter Four. Remaking Development Economics

Chapter Five. An Interdisciplinary Social Science

Chapter Six. The History and Theory of Market Societies

Chapter Seven. The Working of Democracy

Chapter Eight. The Legacy of Albert Hirschman

NOTES

ABBREVIATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780231553308

0231553307

OCLC:

1164826624